The June gloom may have settled into the LA basin, but there is plenty to lift the haze in the world of Dutch arts and culture this summer – from a conference on sustainable architecture and urban planning in San Francisco later this month to a return visit to Los Angeles by one of our favorite musical groups, the Amstel Quartet, in August.

If your travel plans bring you to New York this summer, you will have a lot of choices with all the NY400 activities and programs, celebrating the 400-year anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival and the settlement of the first Dutch colony on the island of Manhattan. For a complete list of programs and exhibitions, visit the website http://www.ny400.nl (in Dutch) or http://www.ny400.org (in English).

And don’t worry… sunny days are ahead!

Department of Cultural AffairsConsulate General of the NetherlandsLos Angeles

Contents: Architecture | Dance | Music | Visual Arts

Architecture

Seminar: The International Intersection of Sustainable Urban Planning & Green Building: An Exchange between the US & the NetherlandsAIA San Francisco, San Francisco, CAJune 25, 2009Additional info: http://www.isupb2009.org/The Dutch Consulate in LA, the Dutch Embassy, and the Netherlands Office for Science & Technology (NOST) have co-organized a day-long seminar on sustainable urban planning and building. Designed for professionals involved with architecture, design, urban planning, cleantech, and real estate, the seminar offers a platform to share best sustainable practices in planning, architecture, and building; explore new environmentally sound business opportunities; and connect with decision-makers from Europe and the United States. More details, including speaker bios, are available on the event's website. RSVP is required.

Dance

Street4onE in World Hiphop Dance Championship at Hiphop International 2009Loews Lake Las Vegas Spa Resort, Las Vegas, NVJuly 29 – August 2, 2009Additional info: Hiphop International ( http://www.hiphopinternational.com/ ), Street4onE ( http://www.street4one.hives.nl/ )The group Street4onE will represent the Netherlands, competing with over one thousand of the world's best street dancers, at the 2009 World Hiphop Championship in Las Vegas. The group's unique style blends elements of nu style, breakdance, poppin', lockin', krump, afro style, capoeira, and old school hiphop.

Music

André RieuUS Tour June 13 – June 24, 2009Additional info: Andre Rieu ( http://www.andrerieu.com/ )Andre Rieu will be on tour through the Western US this Spring with the following dates: June 13 at Tacoma Dome in Tacoma; June 14 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland; June 16 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland; June 17 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento; June 18 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno; June 19 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles; June 20 at Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario; June 22 at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in San Diego; June 23 at the Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix; and June 24 at the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas.

Amstel QuartetLos Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, August 2, 2009Deer Valley Music Festival, Park City, UT, August 4-6, 2009Additional info: Deer Valley Music Festival ( http://www.deervalleymusicfestival.org/ ), LACMA ( http://www.lacma.org/ ), Amstel Quartet ( http://www.amstelquartet.nl/ )The Amstel Saxophone Quartet will be back in LA this Summer, after a very successful series of concerts here this past Spring. On August 2nd, they will perform a concert as part of the Sundays Live series at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which is also broadcast live on the KUSC radio station. After their LA stop, they will travel to Utah, where they are included in this year's lineup for The Deer Valley Music Festival (DVMF) - the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera's summer home in the mountain resort town of Park City, Utah.